Admin to Offer Students More Space to 'Chill'
As part of a three-phase plan, the college administration is creating new student lounge and seating areas. “We are very concerned about the available space for students to chill out in between classes, especially since we have more full-timers than ever in our history,” said John Trojan, vice president of facilities.
The first phase involved converting the former accounting lab on the third floor of Hunterdon Hall to a student lounge. “It’s just a quiet place to work, with a table and chairs, but [it’s] not really a lounge,” said Roman Gorbach, a full-time business major. “What’s good is that you can plug in your laptop there, but I think maybe they could put in some regular computers. That would be good, too.”
Right now, there are few options that provide students with a space for down time. Several small open areas offer seating around campus, such as the Cyber Café and the tables outside of the library. And the new coffee shop in Somerset Hall will provide seating on either side of the corridor.
“I have a class that ends at 3:30 p.m. and another that starts at 6:30 p.m., so I look for a place to study,” said Gorbach, adding that he would consider using the fitness center if its condition were improved.
Richy Gilligan, a business major, and Anthony Flora, a liberal arts major, visit the library and the gym often between classes. “If we have a good break, we go to the basketball courts between the arts building and the gym a lot,” said Flora.
The idea of a student recreational facility was well-received. “Maybe they could put in a Ping-Pong table or something,” suggested Anthony.
Enter Phase Two.
It involves converting the existing faculty/staff dining room and the adjacent Golden Lion’s room into a recreation area for students. “For that one, I don’t need much in the way of renovation,” said Trojan. “We just need to buy equipment, which is there in a week.” The plan includes furnishing the rooms with two plasma-screen TVs, two pool tables, Foosball and air-hockey tables, a conference room area, and a comfortable seating area.
“I would definitely go there to hang out,” said Gilligan. Trojan expects this space to become available for students early next semester. He also plans to create a designated dining area for staff within the cafeteria, unless an existing classroom can be used.
The third phase of the project involves construction within the cafeteria dining area, which requires considerably more time and resources. The first step is obtaining funding from Somerset and Hunterdon counties.
“Depending on the funding that’s available, we are going to be making a couple of changes,” said Trojan. Currently, there is evidence of some initial efforts to improve the cafeteria atmosphere. Large colorful flags hang from the ceiling to help visually lower the room’s height.
The larger project would entail building a second deck, about 2,100 square feet, to provide additional seating over half of the existing cafeteria. “It shouldn’t be something that’s a long shot because the counties are very supportive of the college,” said Trojan. He said that project will need about $1.5 million. Pending county approval, he hopes to start construction in the summer 2007 and open the following spring.